And chances are, these leaders are already working for you – you just have not discovered them yet.
We are entering an era of unprecedented technological change. Artificial Intelligence (AI) will strongly transform organisations. It will become a rat race to apply technology effectively. Many leaders feel uncertain about whether they are making the right choices for their organisations (source: Gartner). The current geopolitical unrest also creates insecurity among people at all levels within organisations (source: Deloitte).
The organisations that will weather these storms are not necessarily the smartest or the fastest. They are the ones that make survival choices by drawing on a wide range of perspectives and disciplines. The winning organisations also have leaders who can engage employees with both their head and their heart. They are the leaders who give direction to the bigger picture and connect people on an emotional level. These leaders may not always be easy to find, yet they are there. They often already work within your organisation but are not featured in talent reviews or succession plans. I hope your organisation is already recognising leaders from one of the following three groups:
Engaged parents
Simon Sinek points out that engaged parents make better leaders. Where else do you learn the subtle balance between caring and daring leadership as well as in raising a child? Sinek even argues that women are therefore often the better leaders. Yet many organisations still reward parents who are rarely at home due to work obligations and who hardly get to practise the caring and daring balance (see our article) with promotions to higher leadership roles.
Empty nesters
We also seem to have forgotten how much emotional intelligence people develop through life itself. Through grief, setbacks, and economic uncertainty, we learn to put things into perspective and support others. With their life experience, empty nesters are ideally suited for leadership roles (HBR). Yet people over 50 are often no longer included on leadership potential lists and are still too often dismissed during recruitment purely because of their age.
Culturally diverse professionals
People with cultural backgrounds outside Northern Europe are often better trained from a young age to read non-verbal signals. The Dutch, by contrast, are typically trained to communicate verbally and often miss the undercurrent of emotions and sentiments within organisations or among clients. In the upcoming transformation, we will greatly need these leadership qualities. Yet many organisations still only appreciate culturally diverse professionals once they have adapted their behaviour to the direct Dutch culture.
It is time to let go of old ideas about what makes a good leader to guide us through the storm. I hope your organisation creates space for new leaders, including engaged parents, wise veterans, and those who can sense the undercurrent. They bring qualities no organisation can do without.